WCC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2022-23 season
By Tuck Clarry
7. Santa Clara Broncos
If there was a team that highlighted just how good the WCC was last year, it was Herb Sendek’s Santa Clara Broncos. They not only had a future lottery pick in Jalen Williams but also one of the best post-players the conference has had in Josip Vrankic. If not for Vrankic missing a good chunk of the season, the Broncos could have joined Gonzaga, San Francisco, and Saint Mary’s as a tournament team. Now, Sendek is looking to retool on the fly with the loss of Williams, Vrankic, and PJ Pipes resulting in 45 points and 95.8 minutes per game up for grabs.
Complimentary shooter Keshawn Justice will be asked to take another step in his senior season. The 6-foot-7 wing shot 42% from three and averaged the third most points last season. It will be interesting to see how Justice gets his shot off without Williams and Vrankic demanding so much attention. There are some pieces that may flourish in bigger roles, senior center Jaden Bediako performed admirably while Vrankic was out, notably shooting 65.4% at the rim and 90% on offensive rebound putbacks. He and senior forward Parker Braun should be asked to expand their role considerably.
Newcomer Brandin Podziemski is an interesting offensive weapon for the Broncos, after a year of struggling to find a role with Illinois. Podziemski’s perimeter shooting didn’t appear in his limited minutes with the Illini, but he appeared to turn a corner during the team’s trip overseas this summer. There are a lot of ifs for Sendek’s young team to complete to reach their potential, but it’s hard not to trust the steadiness of the veteran head coach in a conference full of chaos.